“I live like I paint,” declares painter Al Schwartz. “Making bold moves opens doors in life.” The Tacoma-born artist takes his cues from nature, often incorporating it directly into his pieces. He applies layers of red volcanic dirt to his massive canvases, sanding them down to create arresting, colorful patinas. Schwartz took a leap in moving to Maui more than a decade ago- in all, a bold move for an abstract artist. As it turned out, Schwartz found a strong a strong niche for contemporary art on Maui, scoring spots in several juried shows and a residency at the Four Seasons Resort Maui. On the North Shore, Schwartz’s works dwell at this Paia art gallery. Launched in 2007 by Argentine artist Alejandro Goya, this jewel box of a gallery packs the sophistication and currency of its cosmopolitan counterparts.

When Alejandro Goya opened the Paia Contemporary Gallery in 2007, the Buenos Aires native delivered a shot of sophistication to Maui’s tiny hippie town. Abstract art may not be what most tourists expect to discover along the Hana Highway, but serious collectors quickly ferreted out the minimalist showroom, awarding Goya and fellow artists exhibits in New York and coveted spots in permanent museum collections.” Paia is a door to the world,” says Goya. “It looks mellow and quaint, but you’ve got major corporation owners and movie producers here. I don’t have to go anywhere, they come to me.” For those who can’t make the trip to Maui, his first book, Paia Contemporary Gallery Book, is scheduled for publication in early 2011. The 41-year-old painter-turned-curator logged time in Boston, Miami and Los Angeles before settling into Maui’s mellow North Shore. An avid windsurfer, Goya gladly abandoned skyscrapers for the slow pace of paradise. “ The less distractions I have, the more I get done,” he says. “I used to drive three hours a day in Los Angeles. Here, I don’t put 2,000 miles a year on my car. The health food store, the beach and my gallery are all a block away.” And when funky Paia feels too metropolitan, he and his brother, world-champion windsurfer Francisco Goya, caravan down to Punta San Carlos, Mexico, where they sleep in tents and surf mile-long waves. Goya’s paintings reflect his immediate surroundings. “I really enjoy how nature affects what man has created,” he says. “When working on my abstract art I stay away from glossiness. Nature doesn’t put a gloss on things.”

Luna Series #34 – by artist Alejandro Goya

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